5.1 Joint investigation teams
Throughout 2022, JITs continued to prove to be one of the most advanced tools for international cooperation at Eurojust. With the easing of travelling restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Agency worked on an increased number of both ongoing and newly signed JITs in 2022 compared to the previous year.
JITs supported between 2017 and 2022
JITs were used throughout 2022 in several major cross-border cases involving both EU Member States and third countries. The newly signed JITs in 2022 covered 9 out of 13 crime types addressed by the Agency, ranging from money laundering to migrant smuggling.
JITs supported in 20221
1 Eurojust support to JITs includes financial and operational support. Of the 265 JITs supported, 123 were funded by Eurojust.
2 As of January 2023. Due to the ongoing nature of the cases, these figures may change after the reporting period.
3 A single JIT can deal with more than one crime type.
JIT funding
Out of the 265 cases that benefitted from JITs in 2022, 123 were funded by Eurojust, of which 45 were established in 2022. The final budget earmarked for JIT funding in 2022 was EUR 1.91 million. The number of received applications in 2022 increased by 36% in comparison with the previous year, reaching almost pre-pandemic levels.
2022 marked the first full year of operating the funding scheme without a call for proposals, using only the urgent funding scheme. During the course of the year, there were 15 application requests from 7 JITs, of which 13 were awarded urgent funding grants.
As in previous years, in 2022, the JITs Network Secretariat adjusted its funding schemes to accommodate evolving operational challenges and practitioners’ needs. As of 1 October 2022, car rental is eligible for funding and equipment is available for loan, without a call for proposals, through the urgent funding scheme.
During 2022, JITs started to make use of the latest cost categories introduced at the end of 2021: 17% of awarded applications included requests for purchasing low-value equipment and 12% included requests for specialist expertise.
Joint investigation teams collaboration platform
The proposal for a JITs collaboration platform is part of the European Union’s broader digitalisation of justice strategy. The platform’s objective is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of investigations and prosecutions carried out via JITs in cross-border cases, by facilitating communication and collaboration among JIT parties through a dedicated digital tool.
Throughout 2022, the JITs Network Secretariat closely cooperated with the European Commission and the European Parliament to finalise the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a collaboration platform to support the functioning of JITs.
This included several exchanges of view facilitated by the Secretariat between the European Commission and the JITs Network to ensure that the future platform will meet the operational needs of JIT practitioners. These exchanges led to reducing the administrative burden of using this tool, as well as a more prominent role for the Secretariat in facilitating national practitioners’ day-to-day use of the platform.
In December 2022, the co-legislators reached a provisional agreement on the proposed Regulation setting up a JITs digital collaboration platform for easy and secure exchange and temporary storage of operational information and evidence. The platform should start its operations no later than two and a half years after the entry into force of the Regulation. The agreed text will need to be approved by the Council and the European Parliament before undergoing the formal adoption procedure.
Tools and training
During 2022, the JITs Network Secretariat proactively participated in training activities for JIT practitioners organised both at regional and international levels. The Secretariat conducted coaching at seminars on JIT implementation in April 2022, and on JIT leadership in October 2022, co-organised by ERA, CEPOL and EJTN.
Furthermore, during 2022, the Secretariat developed new training tools to facilitate and assist JIT experts engaged in promoting the use of JITs by national practitioners. The Secretariat also continued to work on developing further electronic tools for the benefit of JIT practitioners, including the JITs Portal and System Claims Modules.
One important training resource completed in 2022, is the JIT model case scenario (MCS). The JIT MCS is inspired by real JIT cases and investigations and reflects every stage in the life cycle of a JIT. It is a flexible and versatile tool that can be adapted to different training needs to suit specific audiences and crime types, as well as the duration of the training session and size of the group. It is available to JIT national experts and training institutions for training purposes at national and international level, and can be obtained from the JITs Network Secretariat upon request.
44 arrested in Europe-wide crackdown against high-risk criminal network
Crime: Several criminal organisations, belonging to one of the most dangerous high-risk criminal networks in the European Union, work together to carry out large-scale poly-criminal activities (including drug trafficking and money laundering) in and outside the European Union.
Action: On 22 November, 94 searches are executed across Europe, targeting the leaders of the criminal organisations and their associates. In an unprecedented international operation, involving judicial and law enforcement authorities from 11 countries, 44 individuals are arrested in Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Latvia, France, Germany, Poland, Norway, Slovakia, Spain and the United States.
Result: During the action day, large quantities of various illicit drugs, such as cocaine, hashish and cannabis and methamphetamine are seized.
Eurojust's role: International cooperation coordinated by Eurojust and Europol is key to bringing the perpetrators located in different locations across the world to justice. Eurojust sets up and finances two JITs, which, together with Europol’s Operational Taskforce, serve as a joint hub for criminal intelligence. Based on this pool of information and evidence, the different authorities agree on a common strategy to bring down the whole network. Eurojust organises 15 coordination meetings to prepare for the action day and sets up a coordination centre to provide cross-border judicial assistance.
Eurojust is an agency of the European Union